CHUCK TUCKER 920930
TOPICS: HPCT; COIN TEST; UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA
UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA WTP 920925.0900
I believe that it is an excellent suggestion for us to write on
phenomena that the other "behavioral scientists" can't explain.
My major difficulty is finding a way for them to admit that they
can't explain it since they refuse to use the notion of
explanation and the strict criteria for an adequate explanation
that I (should I say WE) do. Clark and I (he more than I)
have been trying for nearly 20 years to convince students of
"collective behavior" that their theories and explanations and
data and everything else are severely inadequate and in fact (or
by fact) they have no adequate (even by moderate standards)
explanations of civil disorders, riots, demonstrations and the
like. So the "trick" is to do this indirectly by showing how PCT
explains a particular phenomena and THEN say, "Oh, by the way did
you notice that this is a different explanation based on a
different model then you have been using for these phenomena,
golly gee what a surprise, maybe we have something different
here, I wonder what it could be??" [Did you notice that your
finger movements spelled CONTROL; did you notice that this model
accounts for all those phenomena covered by S-R, Cognitive and
Psychoanalytic theories] But unfortunately when you are asking
them to publish in their journal (Editors speak of their journal
not the journal of the discipline) one has to use such tactics
and can't be direct about it. Such is the state of the
"behavioral sciences" today. IF YOU DISAGREE AND/OR HAVE SOME
OTHER SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THIS MATTER I SURE WOULD APPRECIATE THEM
AS I IMAGINE OTHERS WOULD ALSO.
COIN TEST WTP 920925.0900
I tried to image what pattern would be "coins" arranged "All
coins exactly where they are and oriented as they are" and the
only one I can come up with is one where P is controlling for the
relationship of the "coins" to the surface; as long as the "coin"
is on the surface then there is "no change". We have tried to
eliminate that by having P arrange the "coins" in a pattern and
name it which makes it extremely difficult for P to control for
such a reference signal as "relationhip to the surface". I have
changed the game so that coins are not used to eliminate the
"heads and tails" situation, different type coins, different
color coins and other such variables. I would also suggest the
one demontrate this game with those you are asking to do it
before they do it. In a class I use either an magnetic board
with letter "o" or a felt board with disks (such arrangements
could also be used for conferences and meetings; one of my
students found a computer program [Harvard Graphics?] which draws
coins and did the game on the computer) for showing the game.
There are ways, in other word, to reduce the variability of
patterns for this game. Of course, if you want to introduce a
variety of variables that are possible for controlling then make
the game more complex.
HPCT WTP 920926.2200
This is a wonderful statement. I hope that everyone will
consider it carefully and we can have a serious conversation
about it.
Regards,
Chuck